Coulter on Today Show

[muchacho]

WTF! Where's Franken as a balance!

[TheGunslinger]

1. Bill Kristol was on yesterday....unopposed.

Considering the propagandist has met with newspaper editors from coast-to-coast, it's probably safe to say NBC has dropped their pants and bent over.

[Cobalt Violet]

2. I think Frankens in Iraq.

But ya they seem to love to have on the most vulgar repugs, and no balance. I wonder what they'll do to MSNBC besides change the name.

[muchacho]

3. So bring in Dean

her snarky "Democrats are stinky commies" garbage was generally left to lie.

[Clark2008]

4. Well, at least they had that guy on afterwards and his book,

"Jawbreaker," about how CENTCOM, under BushCo., didn't send him re-inforcement when he found bin Laden in Afghanistan and let him slide on out.

That was a hell of a lot more interesting than Coulter's "I hate liberals" pablum.

[The River]

5. Whores Of A Feather

flock together.

[Crazy Dave]

6. I like it better when Bob Beckel and her square off.

Al Franken is our Rush Limbaugh in my opinion. More for entertainment and calling names than bringing facts to the table and sounding intelligent, discussing it with civility and pointing out the hypocrisies. Bob Beckel is a very sharp witted, intelligent and very forceful figure.
You want entertainment, name calling and nothing else? Franken is your guy. If you want to surgically de-ball a republican, Ann Coulter included (although I'd still like to bend her over a chair), Beckel is the man.

http://www.bobbeckel.com/index.php

[zbdent]

8. Surgically de-balling Ann Coulter would merely be

redundant . . .

[NJCher]

11. Al Franken was the writer of a carefully checked book

Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them. The lies were extremely well documented. Franken wrote this book, along with graduate assistants, at an Ivy League institution.


Cher

[Crazy Dave]

17. I don't disagree with that Cher.....

he just does a poor job in a debate, talking over someone, not letting them get a word out doesn't make you a winner or look credible, just another loudmouth, and that's why I haven't read any of his books or listen to his show. Even James Carville can be a lose cannon sometimes but I still like him and that may sound a little hypocritical but hey,these are just my opinions ;-)

[Douglas Carpenter]

18. I am not familiar with Mr. Beckel's work--but I will have to check it out.

I think if you listen to Mr. Franken's show or read any of his books, especially the most recent one "The Truth: With Jokes", you might be pleasantly surprised.

Also there is the entertainment factor. I remember Randi Rhodes (who I do sometimes find just a bit over the top) once said that there are two speeds in radio: bombastic and boring.

The right-wing is armed with an enormous army of bombastic entertainers with tremendous artistic license for the truth. I think we need at least some who are equally entertaining but without such license.

[NYCGirl]

25. You haven't read any of his books or listened to his show, but still you

have a rock hard opinion of him.

:eyes:

[muchacho]

27. your right

facts won't be enough to square off with Ann the Man. We need a person
that is factually accurate AND street fighter that will, politely (she's
still a woman and middle-America won't tolerate brutalizing a woman on
national TV) clean her clock.

[chicagiana]

36. Get Randi to do it ...

MEEEOOOOWWWWW!!!! Girl Fight!!!!!

Randi vs Anne. Unlike Al, Randi has a real mean streak (Al only has a mischevious streak).

[Douglas Carpenter]

16. Ann Coulter advocates genocide and violence against dissidents

Rush Limbaugh promotes torture and atrocities in general and never bases arguments on evidence

Al Franken is a moderate liberal and almost always bases his arguments on factually-based evidence.

I suppose if you want to have a equivalent of Ann Coulter or Rush Limbaugh -- the closest on the left (in terms of extremes) that might even come remotely close to those two might be Ward Churchill. But he is NOT a Democrat or in anyway an Democratic Party supporter; in fact he is uncompromising in his denunciations of the Democratic Party. He is however an academic who makes his case in very detailed and obtuse arguments.

Limbaugh and Coulter are rigid Republican Party partisans and argues with one-liners with "facts" manufactured out of thin air.

[Crazy Dave]

21. >>Limbaugh and Coulter are rigid Republican Party partisans

Hannity has got to be the worst though, again, it's just my opinion. He's another one that cannot debate intelligently, just yell, cut people off and bring up Bill Clinton in every conversation. Savage is beyond ridiculous but I don't think he has a big a flock as do Limbaugh and Hannity.

[chicagiana]

34. BLEAHH!!!!

The right has no equivalent of Al Franken. Al tells the truth and makes damn sure to get his facts straight. The man is ethical and fair to a fault. The right has no equivalent. The CLOSEST is probably George Will.


Randi Rhodes - Rush Limbaugh
Mike Malloy - Michael Savage
Janine/Sam - Sean Hannity


Likewise, the left has NO equivalent of for Anne Coulter. She is a screball out of this world nutcase disattached completely from reality. Such a person would NEVER be allowed on the air.

If I EVER got a shot at radio, I would do a Kauffman and become the anti-Anne Coulter just to fill the role. I would say the most outrageous, vicious things I could think of about conservatives and just roll with it.

[senseandsensibility]

35. That website was last updated in April, 2004

I love the guy too, but I stopped visiting because he never updates his site.

[Nimrod2005]

7. Iraq, Kuwait, and Afghanistan...Where chickenhawks never go.

[SkiGuy]

9. My dog took two "ann coulters" this morning

during his walk. Then, after work, I have to go clean all the "ann coulter" from my yard.

[Evergreen Emerald]

13. you just made me laugh outloud

I think I woke up my family!

[Cha]

39. To paraphrase Keith Olbermann..

801 Billion flies can't be wrong.

[erpowers]

10. Upset

I have been getting sick of this. I posted a few days ago how angry I was that som many people of the far right have been on the show. Do not forget that Laura Ingram was on the show on Thursday or Friday. This is beginning to be too much. I do not mind that they are having Republicans on the show. I have a problem with them have those who feel that no matter what Bush does he is right. At times it seems that these people would find constitutional support for Bush even if he said he wanted to rape of group of 12 years old girls. When have these people criticized Bush for anything other than not wanting to round up all illegal immigrants and throw them out of the country.

[muchacho]

28. The one upside is..

it just got a whole lot easier to laugh when someone brings up the "Liberal media."

[erpowers]

32. Yeah

It sure has. Now is the time to ask those that make the "Liberal Media" claim what liberal media.

[npincus]

12. I'm so glad I missed it

[SkiGuy]

14. How do you write/email the program director at Today show

Nothing seems to be available online (either that, or it's well hidden).
I'd like to recommend Nathaniel Fick as a guest to even things out a little.

[RebelOne]

44. Here's info from the Today Show.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3032633/

[Evergreen Emerald]

15. Here is the problem

By allowing Coulter and her kind on the Today Show, her radical and dangerous beliefs are given legitimacy. The freaks who 10 years ago lived under rocks and hid their wacky ideas are now considered normal.

I wonder if this radically conservative line-up has anything to do with the corporate press CEO's secret meetings at the White House?

So much for democracy.

[LizW]

19. Yes, this is really scary

Ann Coulter is a clown, a freakshow, a televised masturbatory fantasy of the extreme right. How she gets on cable television is beyond me, and now she's on network television on a weekday morning?????

This country has gone insane.

I'm writing NBC RIGHT NOW.

:grr:

Edited to add:

Here's the e-mail I just sent:

How can you seriously have Ann Coulter on the Today Show? Did she advocate genocide on your show? Did she call for the wholesale bombing of civilians in Muslim countries? Did she talk about how Muslims smell bad? Did she advocate locking up Americans who disagree with President Bush?

If not, you're not getting you money's worth for your sad ratings ploy.

I CAN NOT believe putting this pathetic, attention-seeking hatemonger on television is the best NBC has to offer its morning viewers.

(Name)
(City)

[Evergreen Emerald]

22. Good Job

I fear, however, that it will do little good. They are paid propoganda machines for the administration.

[newspeak]

41. and, on that subject

allowing the Swift Boat Liars on show after show gave them legitimacy. You'all see how that works? Our liberal media in action-setting the bar lower as they go.

[SteppingRazor]

20. Fantastic, I say!

Letting Coulter spew all over morning TV, when people haven't had their coffee yet and aren't particularly willing to suffer fools, can only do us good. Giving Coulter a mike is the same thing as letting neo-Nazis have a rally -- sure, it's a free speech issue. But there's also the simple fact that, when people hear what they/she have to say, they'll realize just how looney it sounds. Hell, I say give Coulter her own TV show. The more she's out there throwing out ignorant remarks that are breathtrakingly offensive to even average, moderate Americans, the more we win.

[muchacho]

29. in general I would agree

but by trying to be "balanced" they allow her views in a format that is popular
gives it a legitimacy (for all it is) that it does not deserve. At least on her
own show (on FOX) it could live in is defiled environment.

When Matt Laur talks to her as though sher's not crazy it ratchets down her crazy level in people's eyes.

[MsKandice01]

23. You know what's funny though?

If you go to msn.com, there is a link to a video that says "Ann Coulter on Bush in 2005". If you click on it, it takes you to the interview of the guy who wrote Jawbreaker. :) I've tried it three times and get the same result. The wingnuts are freaking, I'm sure.

[Parche]

24. coulter

She thinks that we are really at war, and that spying on Americans is OK to protect us....

She really is a joke

[Hyernel]

26. I thought bloodsucking vampires avoided the morning sun.

[NJCher]

30. new team managing Today Show

I was reading at TVNewser and it appear the Today Show got a new management team in the spring. They were getting trounced in the ratings by GMA.

What do you want to bet that the new team has some people on it that have tried this appeal to the r-w fundies before?


Cher

[tishaLA]

31. The Today show has beaten GMA

in *every* weekly, monthly, quarterly, and sweeps period for over 10 years now. They just celebrated--a few weeks ago--520 straight weekly victories over all other morning shows.

Their margin of victory had gotten smaller earlier this year, but it has rebounded.

Bringing on Coulter though? Blech. That's bottom of the barrel stuff.

[Supersedeas]

33. Liberal media bias again

[NJCher]

40. Here's the memo

Agreed, it would have been more accurate to say GMA was gaining on them. The point, however, is the same. Somehow or some way, they think that having the wingnut pundits on is a way to gain some audience. As you can see from the second paragraph of the memo, they pulled out all the stops when they were threatened.


Monday, Dec 26
"We Got Our Groove Back"
A memo to Today Show staffers:

From: Phil Griffin

To: @NBC Today Show

Subject: Note from Phil Griffin

To the TODAY staff,

Change is never easy. It's even more difficult for a program that has enjoyed such success. About eight months ago this place was rocked - thrown completely off balance when a new team was put in charge, and GMA was nipping on the most impressive winning streak in television history. Ouch! The daily grind of putting on a three hour program is hard enough. Then, headlines broke that our margin of victory fell to 40-thousand households one week during May sweeps. I don't have to tell you how hard April and May were on everybody.

But to your credit, TODAY went about its business. From the day in early June when we devoted most of the first hour to the story about "Deep Throat", to Matt's headline-grabbing interview with Tom Cruise, to our coverage of the London Bombings, we got our groove back. All of that set the stage for the news division's ground breaking coverage of Hurricane Katrina. TODAY stood out: Katie live on the scene from the hurricane zone and the Astrodome; Matt with the President in Covington, Louisiana, and of course, our uplifting efforts on Humanity Plaza here at Rockefeller Plaza. In November we showed enterprise with our interesting series devoted to faith, and medicine. And Matt helped us with a stronger than ever finish with a spectacular week circling the globe.


Cher

[OzarkDem]

42. Right wing hate mongers are a small market

and shrinking daily. Are they trying to compete with FAUX news? It hardly seems worth it to risk losing sane viewers who are probably a much larger market.

[NJCher]

45. this is what I think, but...

I think the rub is that while they are small, they watch more TV than the rest of us.

Remember the statement some network exec made about "democrats don't watch TV?" That was debated hotly around here.

At any rate, I'm hatching up a letter to the producer. The concept is "ethos." Even though it's a first-rate piece of fluff, Today Show at least wasn't sleazy. Now it is.

That's the gist; I just have to iron out the details.


Cher

[renie408]

46. What I told them

I sent them an email explaining that we usually watched the Today Show in the mornings while getting ready for school and work. I said that we had always really enjoyed the show and that while I knew it leaned a little more right than I did, I had never felt too alienated by their programming (which is not precisely true. There have been other times when I thought they were being revoltingly pro-right). But being a liberal, I could not sit and watch Matt Lauer fawn over a woman who said that I belonged in Guantanamo. That since they could not even bother to ask her about vitriolic, racist statements she had made less than a week before, I could not bother to watch their show any more.

[Maine-ah]

37. email

[e-mail]

[renie408]

43. I sent one last night.

I told them that I was saddened that I would no longer be able to watch the Today Show. But that after the Ann Coulter "interview", I had realized that they were not the morning show for my family.

[BlueIris]

38. She was on Today? Who made THAT mistake?

Jesus.